Blending Fair Trade coffee with Fair Trade cocoa allows us to support those who serve the world coffee and chocolate. It also helps us celebrate the classic European flavor combination of coffee and chocolate, mixed here as you might find them in an Italian café, with tangy mascarpone cheese and lemon. To make the cookie crumbs for the crust, see the recipe for Chocolate Sugar Dough (page 132) or buy plain cookies (like Pepperidge Farm Chocolate Chessman). Toss about twenty cookies of either type in the blender, pulse two or three times, and you will have dark chocolate cookie crumbs. You’ll need a cheesecake or springform pan, and most grocery store versions of this work fine. When the cake is baked and chilled, release the latch, slice, and serve. Be sure to clean your knife with a warm wet towel for each slice.

　　

Ingredients

makes 1 (9-inch) cheesecake

　　

Chocolate Choices:

Fair Trade cocoa powder, such as Equal Exchange or Green & Black’s

　　

Crust:

1/2 cup chocolate cookie crumbs, plus 1 cup for garnish (optional)

　　1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

　　1/2 cup crushed pecans

　　2 tablespoons Fair Trade espresso or coffee beans, such as Green Mountain Coffee or Grounds for Change, coarsely chopped

　　3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

　　

Batter:

3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature

　　1 (8-ounce) package mascarpone cheese, at room temperature

　　1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature

　　1 cup sugar

　　3 large eggs

　　2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

　　1 tablespoon lemon oil, or finely grated zest of 1 whole lemon

　　2 tablespoons strong brewed espresso or coffee

　　1 tablespoon vanilla extract

　　1 teaspoon kosher salt

　　Espresso beans, candied lemon peel, or chocolate curls, for garnish

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

　　

Step 2

To make the crust, combine the cookie crumbs, cocoa powder, pecans, espresso beans, and butter in a small bowl and mix to form a paste. Be sure to save 1 cup of cookie crumbs to use as garnish if you’d like chocolate crumbs on the sides of the cake. Scoop the mixture into a standard 9-inch wide and 3-inch deep cheesecake pan (if using a one-piece pan, place a circle of parchment paper in the bottom first; a springform pan doesn’t require it) and pat in firmly to form an even crust just on the bottom, not up the sides. Cover with plastic wrap and set in the refrigerator.

　　

Step 3

To make the batter, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, blend the cream cheese on medium speed until it is completely smooth. Stop the mixer, add the mascarpone cheese, sour cream, and sugar and continue to mix on low speed until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until incorporated. Next, add the lemon juice, lemon oil, espresso, vanilla, and salt and beat until smooth.

　　

Step 4

Remove the crust from the refrigerator and remove the plastic wrap. Pour the batter into the pan. Create a water bath by placing the cheesecake pan in a bigger baking pan and gently pouring room temperature water into the bigger pan until it reaches about 1 inch up the side of the cheesecake pan.

　　

Step 5

Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until it is lightly browned on top. You’ll need two good pot holders to get the cake out. Carefully pull it up and out of the water bath, then to a safe spot to cool. Carefully remove the pan of hot water and dump it out in the sink. Allow the cheesecake to cool for about 1 hour, then place it in the refrigerator. It needs about 4 hours in the refrigerator to fully set up.

　　

Step 6

Before serving, release the cake from its pan. For a springform pan, run a paring knife along the inside of the pan, then slowly release the hinge on the outside of the pan. For a one-piece pan, run a paring knife along the inside of the pan, then cover the pan with a piece of parchment paper and then a sheet pan. Flip the pans so the cheesecake releases onto the parchment-covered sheet pan. Remove the parchment paper the cake baked on. The cake will be chocolate side up. Place a serving plate over the chocolate side of the cheesecake, the flip it again so that it is chocolate side down. Smooth any dings on the top with a hot dinner knife. Garnish the cake by pressing chocolate cookie crumbs on the sides with your palms. Add a few espresso beans, candied lemon peels, or a few curls of shaved chocolate on top.

　　Chocolate Bliss